Hi Amanda, I just recently got a ball as well. At first I was nervous about whether or not he'd eat due to the stress of shipping. I let him sit for a week then offered him food and he took it right away. I'm not sure if he was feed live previously though. What has worked best for me with my snakes is to use hot water to raise the rats body temp then use long tongs and mimic movement. Most of the time the snake can't tell the difference and will strike. If this doesn't work cover the feeding tank with a towel and let him sit for 30-1hr before offering the food. If done in dim lighting the snake will mainly use their heat sensors, which increases the likelihood of a response.